A seed planter and seed meter for planting different seed varieties based on the location of the machine in a field. A movable gate switches between seed varieties. The gate in one embodiment has three positions; one position opening a first seed passage to the meter and closing a second seed passage, a second position opening the second seed passage and closing the first seed passage and a third position closing both the first and second seed passages. Two other gate embodiments have only two positions, each position opening one seed passage and closing the other.
|
1. A seed meter comprising:
a seed meter housing having an enclosed interior and having an opening in the housing receiving first and second seed passages for delivery of seed to the housing interior;
a metering member within the enclosed interior of the seed meter housing to singulate seed; and
a gate enclosed within the seed meter housing movable between positions to close or open the seed passages wherein when a seed passage is open, seed is allowed to flow from the seed passage into the interior of the housing and wherein when a seed passage is closed, seed is blocked from flowing into the interior of the housing.
14. A gate within a seed meter of a seeding machine, the seeding machine having a conduit forming first and second seed passages for first and second seeds to pass into the meter, the seed meter having a seed meter housing having an interior and an opening for seed to pass into the seed meter housing from the seed passages and the meter having a metering member therein, the gate comprising:
a hub portion mounting the gate in the seed meter housing for rotation about an axis;
an arm extending radially from the hub portion; and
a paddle portion connected to the arm opening or closing the seed passages based on the position of the gate, wherein the paddle portion comprises a portion that extends in a different plane from the arm.
11. A seed meter comprising:
a seed meter housing having an interior and having an opening in the housing receiving first and second seed passages for delivery of seed to the housing interior;
a metering member within the seed meter housing to singulate seed; and
a gate within the seed meter housing movable between positions to close or open the seed passages wherein when a seed passage is open, seed is allowed to flow from the seed passage into the interior of the housing and wherein when a seed passage is closed, seed is blocked from flowing into the interior of the housing wherein the gate has a first position opening the first passage and closing the second passage and a second position opening the second passage and closing the first passage.
2. The seed meter of
3. The seed meter of
4. The seed meter of
5. The seed meter of
7. The seed meter of
8. The seed meter of
9. The seed meter of
10. The seed meter of
12. The seed meter of
13. The seed meter of
15. The gate of
16. The gate of
18. The gate of
|
This disclosure relates to seed planters and in particular to planters adapted to planting two or more varieties of seed based on the location of the planter in a field.
Most crop production is carried out by seeding an entire field with one seed variety. However, sufficient agronomic data is now available to utilize site specific planting prescriptions that use two or more seed varieties in a given field to increase yields. Various factors are used to determine the best variety for a given location. One area of a field may be lower and typically wetter than other areas. The increased moisture alone may suggest a different variety in that location. In addition, the moisture may result in increased weed or pest pressure in that location necessitating other varieties with resistance to those pressures. To plant the field most efficiently with parallel back and forth passes, and to plant with multiple site specific varieties, it is necessary to switch back and forth between varieties numerous times based on the location of the machine in the field.
With reference to
Each seed meter is equipped with a small seed hopper 40 commonly referred to as a mini-hopper. Seed from two or more tanks 42, 44 is delivered to the mini-hopper pneumatically through tubes 46, 48. Tube 46 extends from tank 42 to the mini-hopper 40 and tube 48 extends from the tank 44 to the mini-hopper 40. Each tank 42, 44 carries a different seed variety such that each variety is delivered to the each mini-hopper. The tanks and tubes are part of a pneumatic seed delivery system 50 such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,609,468; 6,688,244; and 7,025,010, incorporated herein by reference. Seed delivery system also includes a fan or fans 52 to provide the air stream to convey the seed through the tubes 46, 48.
The row unit 22 and seed meter 28 are shown in greater detail in
The meter 28 includes a housing 64 (
The housing body 66 is formed with a second hinge element in the form of a pivot pin 80 (
A metering member 110 is disposed in the interior of the meter housing 64. Metering member 110 is a single piece, concave bowl shaped body. The bowl shaped body has a base portion 112 from which extends a sidewall 114. Sidewall 114 terminates in an outer edge 116. Near the outer edge 116 there is an annular array of apertures 118 that extend through the sidewall. The base portion 112 of the metering member contains a central drive aperture 130 (
The mini-hopper 40 is shown in greater detail in
A single piece gate 150 (
The gate 150 has a first radial arm portion 160 extending radially from the hub portion 152. Connected to the first radial arm portion is a paddle portion 162. In the embodiment shown in
The hub portion 152, the first radial arm portion 160 and the second radial arm portion 172 all lie generally in the same plane. The paddle portion 162 is inclined to the common plane of the hub portion and the radial arms. The paddle portion is shaped as a portion of a frustum of a cone and generally matches the contours of the inside of the metering member 110.
Operation of the linear actuator to extend or retract the plunger 186 causes the crank to rotate about the axis 188 defined by the bushing 178. Rotation of the crank in turn causes the gate to rotate about its rotational axis, moving the wall portions to different locations to open or close the passages 128 and 130 to the interior of the meter housing. The linear actuator can be electronic, hydraulic, pneumatic, etc. The type of linear actuator is not critical to the operation of the seed meter.
Brushes 190, 192, and 194 on the bottom edges of the hopper 40 form seals between the hopper and the paddle portion 162 of the gate 150. The brushes keep seed in the seed passages 128 and 130 from mixing with one another and from moving to other areas in the interior of the meter housing. A brush 196 mounted on the wall portion 166 of the gate, adjacent and below the window 170, forms a seal between the gate 150 and the surface of the metering member 110.
With reference to
Operation of the actuator 184 to retract the plunger 186 causes counter-clockwise rotation of the crank about the axis 188 as viewed in
Operation of the actuator 184 is controlled by a control system, not shown, that uses a seed prescription which defines where each of the seed varieties are to be planted in the field. A location system, such as a GPS system, determines the location of the machine in the field and then operates the actuator 184 to provide seed from seed passage 128 or seed passage 130 to the metering member 110 for planting at that location.
An alternative embodiment of the gate is shown in
A third embodiment is shown in
Having described the seed meter and gate, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.
Garner, Elijah B., Schwartz, Andrew J.
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
10206325, | Feb 07 2017 | BLUE LEAF I P , INC | Multiple seed type seed meter with seed switching mechanism |
10225978, | Sep 14 2017 | BLUE LEAF I P , INC | System and method for switching between seed types during a multi-variety seed planting operation |
10368478, | Jun 14 2017 | BLUE LEAF I P , INC | Multiple variety seed meter with segmented sump arrangement and seed switching arrangement |
10524410, | Aug 16 2017 | BLUE LEAF I P , INC | Multiple variety seed meter with segmented feed pipe system |
10674656, | Sep 14 2017 | BLUE LEAF I P , INC | System and method for switching between seed types during a multi-variety seed planting operation |
10820488, | Mar 16 2018 | BLUE LEAF I P , INC | Systems and methods for monitoring the operation of a seed meter |
11357164, | Aug 16 2017 | BLUE LEAF I P , INC | Multiple variety seed meter of a planter for planting multiple seed varieties |
11555726, | Mar 05 2020 | CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd. | Metering system for distributing particulate material |
9775279, | May 09 2014 | Deere & Company | Seed valve and planting method for multiple seed types |
ER7842, |
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
5170909, | Oct 31 1983 | DEERE & COMPANY, A CORP OF DE | Vacuum seed meter |
6609468, | Aug 08 2002 | Deere & Company | Product on demand delivery system having an agitator assembly |
6688244, | Aug 08 2002 | Deere & Company | Product on demand delivery system |
7025010, | Apr 21 2004 | DEERE & CO | Flow splitter arrangement for series fed product application units |
20100101469, | |||
20100282143, | |||
20110098851, | |||
20110178632, |
Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Dec 04 2013 | GARNER, ELIJAH B | Deere & Company | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 031726 | /0198 | |
Dec 04 2013 | SCHWARTZ, ANDREW J | Deere & Company | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 031726 | /0198 | |
Dec 05 2013 | Deere & Company | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / |
Date | Maintenance Fee Events |
Dec 09 2019 | M1551: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 4th Year, Large Entity. |
Dec 07 2023 | M1552: Payment of Maintenance Fee, 8th Year, Large Entity. |
Date | Maintenance Schedule |
Jun 07 2019 | 4 years fee payment window open |
Dec 07 2019 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Jun 07 2020 | patent expiry (for year 4) |
Jun 07 2022 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 4) |
Jun 07 2023 | 8 years fee payment window open |
Dec 07 2023 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Jun 07 2024 | patent expiry (for year 8) |
Jun 07 2026 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 8) |
Jun 07 2027 | 12 years fee payment window open |
Dec 07 2027 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Jun 07 2028 | patent expiry (for year 12) |
Jun 07 2030 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 12) |